Yeast Free Living

Archive for the ‘Candida Diet Recipes’ Category

I stumbled across a goulash recipe a few weeks back and tucked it away until I had time to try it.  I was drawn to this goulash recipe because it didn’t have a ton of ingredients.  The fewer ingredients the better when you are cooking for the candida diet.  The originally recipe was pretty much yeast free except for having to substitute the regular salt with sea salt.  I wasn’t really sure what goulash was or if I had ever eaten before but from the picture it looked like stew and oh how I love stew. 

This recipe rocked.  My whole family enjoyed it, except for the baby of course who is allergic to beef.  I might try making chicken goulash so that she can enjoy goulash too.  To make this easy recipe even easier I enlisted my crockpot and let the meat cook for several hours.  It was extremely flavorful and tender and although goulash is most often served over pasta I decided to serve it overbrown rice instead.   The original recipe is called Hungarian Goulash because it calls for Hungarian sweet paprika rather than regular paprika.  I didn’t have any Hungarian paprika so I just used plain old paprika and it still came out so good.  I might try using the Hungarian paprika next time so that I can taste the difference.  This Yeast Free Crockpot Beef Goulash Recipe is a combination of  2 Hungarian Goulash recipes on All Recipes.   If a hearty yeast free beef stew with a unique flavor is what you should definitely give this recipe a try.       

Yeast Free Crockpot Beef Goulash Ingredients
3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 onions, sliced
1 tablespoon and 3/4 teaspoon paprika
1-1/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds beef chuck roast, cubed (you can also used beef stew meat that already comes cubed)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (without preservatives, sugar or citric acid)
3/4 cup and 3 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Yeast Free Crockpot  Beef Goulash Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat
Add onions and cook until soft
Add beef cubes to the pan and sprinkle with spices (paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper)  
Mix thoroughly and cook until meat is brown on all sides
Place onion meat mixture in Crockpot 
Pour in tomato paste, water, garlic and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Cook on low for 7 – 9 hours or on High for 3-5 hours or until meat is tender
Serve over brown rice pasta, brown rice or spaghetti squash

Recipe adapted from Hungarian Goulash Recipe I and Hungarian Goulash Recipe II from All Recipes.

I love finding good tilapia recipes because tilapia is such an affordable fish choice.  It is usually about 5.99 a pound and that is why I often choose it over other types of fish.  In the past I would steer clear of tilapia because I was unsure of how to prepare it.  It seemed bland and unappealing to me so I stopped buying it for quite a while.  Today I make it a habit to buy tilapia and seek out recipes to help me turn tilapia into flavorful yeast free meals.   This Yeast Free Lemon Garlic Tilapia recipe is just that.  This is such a simple dish to make requiring very few ingredients.  Although it is a simple recipe it is by no means boring.   The unique blend of lemon, butter and spices make this a very appealing dish.    

I like to pair tilapia with rich yeast free sides and steamed vegetables.  Some our favorite side dishes for tilapia include yeast free brown rice pilaf, yeast free rice-a-roni and yeast free garlic buttered noodles.    
 

Yeast Free Lemon Garlic Tilapia Ingredients
4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon clarified butter melted
1 clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Yeast Free Lemon Garlic Tilapia Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Spray medium sized baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
Place fillets in baking dish
Pour lemon juice over fillets and then drizzle butter on top
Sprinkle with garlic, parsley and pepper
Bake until fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, approximately 30 minutes

Recipe adapted from Lemon Garlic Tilapia on All Recipes

It took me quite a while to catch on to how tasty creamy soups were.   I have spent the majority of my life eating chicken noodle soup because I was always to scared to try other types of soup.  I have however become a lot more soup adventurous in more recent years.  Cream of mushroom, clam chowder, chicken tortilla and cream of broccoli soup have become some of my favorites.  My oldest daughter also enjoys creamy types of soup so I decided to try my hand at making cream of broccoli soup. 

This yeast free cream of broccoli soup recipe was adapted from a recipe for Best Cream of Broccoli Soup by Jessie A. on All Recipes.  The soup came out great but I skipped the puree step in the original recipe and my soup came out a lot more chunky then I would have liked.  Even with this mishap I still think that the soup tasted great and I believe this recipe is a winner provided I follow the directions next time. It was easy to make this soup candida diet friendly.  I used a yeast free unsweetened chicken broth  and unsweetened hemp milk to pull it all together. 
   
Yeast Free Cream of Broccoli Soup Ingredients
1 onion finely chopped
1 celery stalk finely chopped 
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 1/2 cup yeast free unsweetened chicken broth
16 ounces frozen broccoli florets 
1 tablespoon yeast free gluten free flour
1 cup yeast free unsweetened milk substitute
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Yeast Free Cream of Broccoli Soup Directions
In large saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter
Saute onions and celery until soft
Add chicken broth and broccoli florets
Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes
Carefully pour the soup into the blender and puree until smooth
Pour into a clean pot
In a medium saucepan heat remaining tablespoon of clarified butter on medium heat
Stir in flour and then add milk substitute
Stir until thick and bubbly  
Add milk mixture to the soup and stir
Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

One of my favorite fast food lunches/dinners is Wendy’s Southwest Taco Salad.  I am always full after eating this salad which comes equipped with a bed of iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cheddar cheese, tortilla chip strips, sour cream and small cup of chili.  It sounds very simplistic but I really do enjoy it.  I do prefer the taco salads at Qdoba to the ones at Wendy’s but Wendy’s is usually the more convenient option.  I know that neither of these taco salad are yeast free and are probably filled with a ton of ingredients prohibited on the candida diet and that is why have not indulged in one in quite a while.  I have however developed my own yeast free taco salad.  It is so easy to make and it taste just as good as both of the fast food ones that I mentioned.  To be honest I do miss topping the salad with sour cream but plain unsweetened yogurt is a great yeast free sour cream substitute and seems to be okay for many on the candida diet. 

I used my favorite ingredients in this recipe but there is a lot of room for experimentation here.  I encourage you to experiment with different types of beans, add corn, add peppers or any other yeast free ingredients that you would like to try so that you can this your favorite taco salad.  As for salad dressing I use yeast free creamy herb salad dressing.        

Yeast Free Taco Salad Ingredients
1 pound ground meat browned, drained and seasoned with yeast free taco seasoning mix  
1 head iceberg lettuce finely cut
12 ounces unsweetened chopped tomatoes ( I use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes which contains no citric acid)
1 can black beans (I use Nature’s Promise from Stop & Shop which are organic and contain no preservatives)
1 avocado sliced
plain unsweetened yogurt (optional)
7 ounces tortilla chips (I use Sage Valley which contain all candida friendly ingredients)

Yeast Free Taco Salad Directions
In a large bowl mix together first 5 ingredients
Top salad with yogurt and tortilla chips and serve

The picture to the left may look like spaghetti but it is not, it is spaghetti squash and it is a great choice for the candida diet.  I first discovered spaghetti squash back in 2006 when I was trying to navigate through what I could actually eat on the candida diet.  I decided to give up pasta during the early stages of the diet because I did not know about the non-glutinous pasta alternatives at the time. Giving up pasta was not a huge deal but I found that I missed the taste of marinara sauce a lot more than I actually missed pasta.  I knew that I could make a yeast free marinara sauce, but what would I eat it with?  My main yeast free reference at the time was Overcoming Candida: The Ultimate Cookery Guide by Xandria Williams.  I have since misplaced this book but this is where I believe I first heard about spaghetti squash.  I did not even know what a spaghetti squash looked like so I Googled it to find a picture and then headed to the farmer’s market to find one.  My first experience with spaghetti squash was a positive but I stopped eating it when I discovered the non-glutinous pasta alternatives. 

Cooked spaghetti squash really does look like spaghetti.  It does not however taste like spaghetti, as it has it own unique kind of sweet flavor.  I don’t want to mislead you, it is not pasta but it is a great pasta substitute for the candida diet.  Lately I feel like I have been relying too heavily on brown rice pasta and that is what compelled me to put spaghetti squash on the menu.  Spaghetti squash has significantly less carbohydrates than brown rice pasta with only 5 grams of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup compared to 86 grams of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup of brown rice pasta.  That is a huge difference and that is why I believe that spaghetti squash is a great choice for the candida diet.  I do not love spaghetti squash but I can eat it and enjoy it especially with a good sauce.  My 7 year old however does love spaghetti squash and has gone as far as requesting it for dinner.  You may be worried about the taste but just give a try you have nothing to loose except a ton of yeast feeding carbohydrates.   

Yeast Free Spaghetti Squash Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes which are unsweetened and contain no citric acid or other preservatives)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Yeast Free Spaghetti Squash Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease a baking sheet
Cut spaghetti squash in halve lengthwise
Spoon out just the center filing to remove all seeds and discard
Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet
Bake approximately 30 minutes in preheated oven
Spaghetti squash is ready when you can insert a sharp knife with only a little resistance
Remove spaghetti squash from oven and set aside to cool until it can be comfortably handled
While spaghetti squash is cooling heat oil in a large skillet over low heat
Saute onion until tender
Add garlic and basil and saute for 2 – 3 minutes
Stir in the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warm
Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the spaghetti squash
Place in medium bowl and use a fork to separate the stringy clumps
Add tomato mixture to the bowl and serve

Recipe adapted from Spaghetti Squash I Recipe by James on All Recipes

It has occurred to me that cheating on the candida diet can perhaps inspire new yeast free recipes.  This Yeast Free Italian Style Tuna Salad recipe is the result of my cheating on the diet while on a recent trip to Massachusetts.  I was so hungry after completing my tour of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum that I decided to visit the museum cafe.  The cafe was tiny and had very limited food options but fortunately there was a large cooler with a variety of gourmet sandwiches.  That cooler actually turned out to have quite a few sandwich options, so many in fact that I became a bit conflicted while trying to choose.  I managed to narrow it down to two sandwiches; cucumber and hummus on whole wheat or Italian style tuna salad on a whole wheat baguette.  It was a tough choice but in the end the Italian style tuna salad sandwich triumphed.   

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this sandwich.  I am fond of tuna but I really didn’t know what Italian style tuna would taste like.  The sandwich turned out to be quite delicious and a pleasant departure from my typical mayonnaise laden tuna sandwiches.  I inspected the inside of the sandwich and tried to pay close attention to the myriad of ingredients that I was tasting so that I could create a yeast free version when I returned home.  Fortunately, I was able to make a candida diet friendly version of the tuna salad and it is pretty tasty.  Since I am back to living yeast free the whole wheat baguette thing is of course off limits and so I just enjoyed the tuna salad on a bed of Romaine lettuce.   

Yeast Free Italian Style Tuna Salad Ingredients
2 – 5 ounce cans albacore tuna drained 
1/4 red bell pepper finely chopped
1/4 green pepper finely chopped
1/4 red onion finely chopped
1/2 rib celery finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Yeast Free Italian Style Tuna Salad Directions
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix together thoroughly
Serve over Romaine lettuce

Deviled Eggs are always a big hit at gatherings and are very easy to make candida diet friendly.  Actually the only reason that most traditional deviled eggs are not okay for the candida diet is due the type of mayonnaise that most people use.  Most commercially available mayonnaise and salad dressings contain vinegar and/or sugar which is prohibited on the candida diet.  By making your own mayonnaise you avoid this problem.  Yeast free mayonnaise is the reason this recipe is possible.  Provided you have the right mayonnaise you can pretty much make your deviled eggs like you usually do.  Some recipes I found for deviled eggs do call for mustard but I have not figured out how to make candida diet friendly mustard yet so I just left it out.  The following is my very basic recipe for deviled eggs, but it is still sure to be a crowd-pleaser.   

Yeast Free Deviled Eggs Ingredients (Makes 6 servings)
6 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup yeast free mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
scallions finely chopped
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
paprika

What makes a good hamburger?  I was never really too picky about how I seasoned my hamburgers because any burger tastes good when topped with American cheese and ketchup and served on a potato roll.  It was not until I had to eat cheese-less, bun-less and sometimes ketchup-less burgers that I really cared about what they were seasoned with.  Unsure of what to season my hamburgers with one night, I grabbed a packet of Sazon Goya.  I had never used Sazon Goya in this capacity, as it was something that I used exclusively to create Spanish style rice and beans.  To my delight this was the one of the most serendiptous discoveries in my kitchen and my typically bland hamburgers were transformed into a delightful meal. 

I did not realize it then but Sazon Goya is not allowed on the candida diet.  I have to make a yeast free Sazon Goya and it is the key to these very simple yeast free burgers.  Well seasoned hamburgers can be a quick and tasty meal on the candida diet and are great to have on hand for barbecues.  I usually enjoy these on a plate without any toppings or between two rice cakes if I really want a the whole hamburger fee;.  There are lots of different seasonings you can use for your hamburgers while still remaining yeast free.  If this recipe does not suit your tastes do experiment with other seasonings until you create your perfect burger.   

Yeast Free Hamburgers Ingredients
1 pound of ground meat (I usually use turkey but and ground meat will work)
Yeast Free Sazon Goya
1 teaspoon onion powder

Yeast Free Hamburgers Directions
Preheat grill or broiler
Spray grill grate or broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray or cover with aluminum foil
Mix ground meat and seasoning together thoroughly
Divide meat into four equal parts, roll each into a ball and then flatten to form 4 patties
Place on grill grate or broiler pan and cook to desired tenderness

Sazon Goya is a a unique blend of spices commonly used in a variety of Spanish dishes.  I actually used to use it to make my Spanish style rice and beans.  One night I discovered that it was a terrific seasoning for hamburgers and have been found of this product ever since.  The thing is that Sazon Goya is not candida diet friendly.  The first ingredient listed is monosodium glutamate or MSG which is a preservative and flavor enhancer.  On a positive note I making your own yeast free Sazon Goya is not difficult.  The following barely qualifies as a recipe but hopefully will help if you are stumped on how to season something.  I purposely left out annatto because I used to purchase the variety without it.  If you like annatto you can add it to the mix. 
 
Yeast Free Sazon Goya Ingredients
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander

Yeast Free Sazon Goya Directions
Combine all ingredients in a spice jar or an airtight container
Mix all ingredients thoroughly
Store for later use

My family is from the South so potato salad is of course an extremely important dish at our family gatherings.  I have only attempted to make potato salad once before and it did not turn out so well.  This was many years ago when I first started cooking and I overcooked the eggs.  Trying to peel overcooked eggs is miserable and it is often very hard to take off every piece of the shell.  I missed quite a bit of egg shell and it ended up in my potato salad.  Crunchy potato salad it gross and really embarrassing.  I was so disappointed that I never made it again and just left that dish to some of my more experienced family members.  

Since I hosted a family barbecue this past 4th of July weekend and it has been over 6 years since the potato salad incident I felt that the time was right for me to try making potato salad again, yeast free of course.  It is yeast free mayonnaise that made this potato salad possible.  I did overcook the eggs again but I took the time to make sure that there was no egg shell left on the eggs.  The potato salad came out great, I conquered my fear of making it and it contains all candida diet friendly ingredients.  This yeast free potato salad should of course be enjoyed in moderation as potatoes are high in carbohydrates which feed candida.  
 
Yeast Free Potato Salad Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)
2.5 pounds potatoes, cooked until just tender, cooled and cubed
5 hard boiled eggs cooled, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch scallions
1/2 cup yeast free mayonnaise
1/4 tsp dried mustard
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Yeast Free Potato Salad Directions
In large bowl combine potatoes, eggs, scallions
Stir in mayonnaise, mustard and sea salt and pepper to taste

Recipe inspired by Picnic Potato Salad Recipe by Diana Rattray from About.com:Southern Food.